Finding Books in (Pioneer) Happy Valley

Deerfield Museum Bookshop

From time to time we like to take a weekend and spend it at a bed and breakfast somewhere far enough away to be a mini-vacation, but close enough to home so that we don’t have to take a plane or train to get there. Fortunately, living in New England suits our purposes perfectly. From Bar Harbor, Maine to Essex, Connecticut, we can always find someplace fun and interesting to visit for less than a tank of gas.

Our visit to Historic Deerfield was very memorable. Unlike Plimoth Plantation or Sturbridge Village, where visitors know they are entering a recreated village, Historic Deerfield emerges from the Connecticut River lowlands as a simple street that seems to have been trapped in a time warp.

A short turn off of Route 5 brings you down a mile long roadway lined with homes built centuries ago by the original settlers of the area. These homes were not trucked in on flat-beds like Rockefeller did in Williamsburg or built by modern carpenters using age-old techniques as at Plimoth Plantation. Most of these homes, churches and school buildings have endured since their original construction dating back over 300 years.

In the center of the community is the 23 room Deerfield Inn, which itself is about 140+ years old. The wallpaper, the linens, the artwork and the doilies on the dresser are all things I would never want in my own home. But, I believe I would be greatly disappointed not to have them when we stay at a bed and breakfast or inn. Don’t ask me why. Also, what is it about the height of the bed in these guest houses? It seems to me we always find them to be so high up off the floor that my wife needs to take a running leap to get into bed. Were our ancestors all giants?

The sitting room, the lounge, the front porch are all part of the charm of staying at a place like the Deerfield Inn. I was not disappointed that the “ghosts”, that are claimed to haunt the inn made no appearance during our visit. I could do without that kind of encounter.

The Museum Store has everything you might expect in the way of souvenirs, memorabilia and craft items that celebrate the history of Deerfield. Over the years I have developed the ability to slowly and steadily open the front door without clanging the bells that are draped liberally over the door. I don’t mind a soft tinkle or the occasional ding from a door alarm, but those bells on the museum storefront door can be quite startling if you are not ready for them.

But, it’s the bookstore in the museum that I especially like. I have noticed over the years that the total number of books on hand has diminished, but the range and caliber of the selections remain high. I never fail to find another book about Alexander Hamilton even though I think I have read every one ever written. I also enjoy the crazily over-stacked library cart with the 50 percent off discount. The signage is hand-written and subject to the whim of the mostly volunteer staff. Yet, I always find something I can’t resist.

Among the staff are a retired New York City librarian and many others that have a love of books, history and the charming role that Historic Deerfield plays in maintaining our connection with the past. It’s their devotion and patience that keep the store operating and worth the trip.

Touring Bookshops and Other Places along Central Vermont's Picturesque Route 7

Otter Creek Used Books - Middlebury VT

Rutland VT to Burlington VT is about 68 miles. The trip along Route 7 would take almost two hours as the road is not exactly a superhighway. But, in the pursuit of bookshops along the way, I managed to turn it into a five-hour journey. Once we got to Burlington, some rain showers emerged and we dodged into and out of the shops downtown – whereof all things I found another bookshop. (My wife suspects I knew it was there all along; but, it really was a surprise.) Our return trip to Rutland, where we were staying during this visit to Vermont made it a long day. But, I would say it was a satisfying day.

On the way out of Rutland, we had breakfast at the Midway Diner, where the eggs benedict featured a great Canadian bacon. The traditional looking diner is something we look for when we travel and this one didn’t disappoint. We scooted out onto Route 7 after we ate and took off north.

It took about 25 minutes to travel 17 miles north to Brandon, where we stopped at the Briggs Carriage Bookstore. Sadly, it was closed. And according to the recorded message on the telephone, it is permanently closed. I don’t know exactly when this happened, but it was certainly sad to discover this bad news at our first stop. So we plunged on to hopefully better results up Route 7.

On to Middlebury

Our next stop was Middlebury, about another 20 minutes on Route 7. The Otter Creek Used Books shop is now at 99 Maple St. It gave up its Main Street location and I really like the new one. It’s a bit hard to find at first, as you have to turn down a tight driveway, but it’s worth it once you get there. The owner claims it’s still not really organized the way she would like it, but trust me when I say, it’s way ahead of a lot of other places when it comes to sorting and labeling.

I especially liked some of the walk-in closets that featured various categories, such as gardening and antiquarian. I found a signed copy of Bookbanning in America by William Noble. It was a bargain, which I confirmed on the Internet when I got home from vacation. I also found The Path to Power by Margaret Thatcher for $5. This book is her account of her personal life and how she became involved in politics. Reviewers claim it’s better than her book, The Downing Street Years. I’ll keep my eyes open for that one too.

Further up Route 7 about two miles was Monroe Street Books. The warehouse appearance, both outside and inside, seems appropriate as the shop is co-located with a storage locker company. It appears that the biggest customer is the bookshop. Over 80,000 books are stacked on shelves so high you need a ladder to get up and read the top rows. I found Robert Dallek’s Nixon and Kissinger for a reasonable price and it turned out today all political books were on sale with an extra 25 percent discount. Dallek’s known for his writing about Kennedy, Johnson, Reagan, and Roosevelt. I can’t wait to read this one.

Time for Lunch
I had to promise my wife that the next stop would include lunch. So, we headed to Vergennes and the 3 Squares Café, still on Route 7. This place was a classic small-town Main Street café. The tables don’t match. The chairs don’t match. The open kitchen behind the deli-style glass front counter gives the impression of a cafeteria, delicatessen, coffee shop and bistro, all in one. Don’t forget the locally brewed beer. And I didn’t. It was great. So were the sandwiches. When my wife ordered the Mimosa, we saw the waitress run down the street to buy some Champagne. The drink came in a tall water glass instead of the traditional six-ounce flute. The freshness of the ingredients and the presentation was gourmet, without the gourmet price. It’s a definite repeat stop for us.

Alas, there did not appear to be a bookshop, but along Main Street, one of the shops, which appeared to be a consignment place, had a sign declaring books by the pound. They were selling books by their weight. The price was two pounds of used books for a dollar? This I had to see. And sure enough, stacked up on the floor, tables, shelves and everywhere they could find a spot were books. And in the front window was a scale for you to determine how many pounds of books you were hauling.

It turns out we were in the Sweet Charity resale shop. Proceeds from the shop support families in need locally. Their website is sweetcharityVT.com. Their motto is “if you are downsizing keep us in mind.” I don’t know if the books are a one-time event, or if they sell books on a regular basis. But, if it goes on regularly, it’s a great place for bargains, while doing something helpful at the same time. I took quite a heavy load out myself, including Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor and David Brinkley, a Memoir.

Full of pastrami, beer, and books, we took off from Vergennes toward Shelburne, about 20 minutes further up Route 7. In Shelburne, we stopped at the Flying Pig Bookstore, which is in the same building as the Bearded Frog Bar and Grill. You have to give them credit for two eclectic retail names. Flying Pig and Bearded Frog?

The Flying Pig carries about 40,000 volumes and has a tremendous focus on children’s books. There seemed to be a lot of variety and the store was well organized. The shop publishes its own newsletter, Pig-Tales, which features books for kids, by age group; books written by Vermont authors, and other categories. To publish a 16 page quarterly newsletter is very impressive. It’s definitely worth reading. Shelburne is a destination all to itself. You could spend more than a day here taking in the sights. We will be back as soon as possible.

On to Burlington

The final leg of today’s trip was 15 minutes north to ‘Burlington. We’ve been here before and it’s always a delight to visit. The open air Church Street Marketplace is what we wish all downtown’s looked like. The traffic is limited to a few cross-over points, but essentially it has become a walker’s paradise. The shops and cafés overflow onto the brick sidewalks and plazas giving a chance to everyone to enjoy the fresh air, the sun and the general hustle-bustle of a vibrant marketplace.

We took advantage of the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop, as my wife has made Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz her favorite. As we continued our rounds we found the Crow Bookshop at 14 Church St. In previous trips I hadn’t really bumped into the place, but I liked it very much. They are mostly a used book shop, but they have new titles as well. The used books are 50 percent off or better and the new books are also discounted. I got Darwin’s Armada by Iain McCalman for $12. The cover price is $29.95. That’s definitely more than 50 percent off. I also got The Canal Builders by Julie Greene at the same discount.

So, at the end of the day our One-Day-Bookstore-Tour took us to four great book shops. Although one of the planned stops was closed, we found an unexpected one to fill out our dance card. I will tell you more about the book shops right in Rutland and along our other routes as we toured Killington, Fort Ticonderoga, and other spots during this vacation.

A Vactioner's Guide to Rural New England Bookstores will arrive in its 2nd edition soon

When my book was first published in 2008, it was a lot of fun anticipating how readers would accept it. The limited run was a great learning experience, which I am grateful for, as I believe it greatly contributed to the quality of the newest edition due out this summer.



The first edition was published in 2008.

As soon as it is ready to print, I will mention it here and anyone interested in getting a copy can email me or buy it online. The new edition has lots of new features. The best new feature is the One-Day-Bookstore-Tour, which has a half dozen of my favorite routes for spending the day in a bookstore.

Another new feature is the focus on Used and Rare bookshops. Previously, many used bookshops were included, but they were not highlighted as they are in the new edition.

The question I raised back in 2008 was whether the New England rural bookstore could survive. I suggested that there were some rare qualities about our region that would permit the independent bookshop owner to succeed, where some other parts of the country might have more difficulty. In many ways I think the rural New England bookshop is doing well. In fact, I have seen more than one new shop open, including one close to my home in Jefferson, where I had the good luck to be its first customer in the summer of 2011. The Beech Tree Place bookshop is celebrating its first-year anniversary in a few weeks and that's a testament to its owner, but in some ways to the support of the New England book-buying public.

When you like to read as much as I do, it's probably not feasible to buy a full price New York Times bestseller each week. That's just too expensive. Besides, not enough books are being written currently that hold my interest. I prefer books about historical figures, written by people who were there. That's why I enjoyed finding a copy of Theodore White's book, In Search of History, because he knew the characters he wrote about - and those characters shaped the world I grew up in during the 1950's and 1960's. That's much more exciting to me than most of today's literature.

If you want more book for your buck, my book will help you find a bargain and probably something much more worth reading. I hope so, anyway.

Historic Woodstock Vermont is perfect for a rare book One-Day Bookstore Tour

It’s only a couple hours north from my home to reach the town of Woodstock VT, which is a preferred destination for many reasons. The town is beautiful in any season, the main street is lined with charming shops and galleries, the dining and drinking options are numerous, and I can find a library and three bookshops within walking distance of each other. Now, that’s a great reason to visit any town.

The Norman Williams Public Library had a book sale this past weekend ranging from 50 cents to a few dollars each on a great collection of hardcover and softcover books. My wife selected a novel and I found two non-fiction hardcovers that totaled $8. The library was happy and we were delighted.

A few steps down the street was the Yankee Bookshop, notable for its bright yellow awning. They claim to be the oldest continuously operated independent bookshop in town, having first opened in 1935. The shop is small but well organized. The book selection was wide-ranging and I was able to find some titles that I had to have. I also appreciated the rack of local newspapers at the front of the store. It’s amazing to me that more bookshops don’t bother with offering the local periodicals.

A few more steps up the street brought us to Shiretown Books. The shop has begun to intermingle new and used books on the same shelf. This is a great idea. I prefer to make my selections in the history, biography and political commentary section from used titles because a book about a historical event two hundred years ago, that was written by someone 10 years ago, is still fresh to me. Obviously, if you want to read an analysis of last year’s election, it’s necessary to buy at new book prices. I found two volumes at $4.95 each. So, for fewer than ten dollars I had a biography of Thurgood Marshall and Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser. Another good day as a result of used book pricing.

The final stop for the day was at Pleasant Street Books. It was a short ride/walk up the road and was the main reason we came on today’s visit. The antiquarian and rare book shop operated by Sonny Saul has thousands of books, many of which are first editions. The shop resides in a restored barn behind his house, along the river. It’s quintessential in its charm, inside and out. The inside has undergone a significant change over the past year. Sonny cleared out a lot of books on the ground level to make room for a piano and seating that can accommodate recitals. Although no formal schedule exists, I think we will be hearing (excuse the weak pun) more about it soon.

The rare books mingle with the merely used books. I like both types. For those looking for Shakespeare Folios, he has some. For those looking for Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco, the cost was only $8. For the Shakespeare, a bit more. I bought the Umberto Eco volume.

The upstairs section is more crowded than downstairs. The books are stacked from floor to ceiling, but Sonny has provided numerous low stools for visitors to hunch down comfortably to scan the treasures on the bottom shelves. I think I bought seven books, but I could easily have bought many more. Each aisle had something to peak my reading interest. Other aisles had volumes that peaked my collecting instinct. Sometimes my instincts get the best of me. This day I settled for the seven, which included one signed copy, a few first editions, and a few readers. Excellent.

Generally, a One-Day-Bookstore-Tour takes in a few nearby towns, but this time I never left the boundaries of Woodstock VT. In between the visits we took lunch at the Woodstock Inn and some libations at Bentley’s downtown. Both were fun, but the drinks are cheaper at Bentley’s, believe me. Can’t wait to come back to Woodstock.

One-Day-Bookstore-Tour Yields Great Book Bargains in Portsmouth NH Area

I just got back from a great One-Day-Bookstore-Tour in and around Portsmouth NH, where the RiverRun Bookstore reopened at its new location. On Saturday, the place was buzzing. I was disappointed to learn that the SecondRun shop, which has been closed for a year won’t be reopening any time soon. But, according to one of the owners, there may be a Used Bookstore in its future – but, probably out of town where the rents are lower.

The new shop is delightful. It’s not very large, but well organized and thankfully, it’s peppered with a lot of Used Books. Unlike a lot of shops, the new and used books are intermixed on the same shelves by category. So, when I’m looking at biographies, I can find a new release parked right next to a used copy of Amelia Earhart by Doris Rich for $10. Now, that’s what I’m talking about. I also found The River of Doubt, a great biography of Theodore Roosevelt’s adventure on the Amazon River for the same price. They also have bargain books in boxes at the front of the store from $2 to $5.

Downtown Portsmouth is a great walking town, but you don’t have to walk far to find shops, restaurants, bar and grills, galleries, and a lot more. I visited the former location of the SecondRun used bookshop, which now anchored an artist’s gallery. Then, after a quick bite at The Page Restaurant, I was on my way seven miles up the road to Drake Farm in North Hampton.

The Drake Farm Book Shop is a remarkable local landmark. The barn was built around 1830 and from its antique railroad station wood stove (this weekend’s only source of heat) to its two floors overstuffed with 45,000 books, you know you are visiting someplace special. The owner, Bob, greets everyone who enters and encouraged browsers to button up their overcoat as the barn is unheated due to the $300 per week oil charge. So, bring your gloves and when you can’t stand it anymore, come back to the storefront and warm yourself at the wood stove.

The $300 oil charge is understandable once you get inside the enormous barn. Room after room draws you further along into the enormous space. Books are stacked on shelves so tightly that you have to pull out several books at a time to release the one you want to inspect. The rooms and sections of rooms are well labeled so you can find the military or natural science or fiction sections easily. But, this is clearly a place that requires more than one visit. The vastness of the collections is hard to describe.

Among the several books that I bought was Marshall, Hero for Our Times by Leonard Mosley. The collection of WW II and other military genre books was impressive. For the most part, each book is wrapped in plastic with a written description of edition and pricing. The books are handled less this way and better preserved for the ultimate buyer. Each of the several books I purchased was a First Edition and each was treated by the bookseller with care and reverence. The pricing was fair and if you group your buys, you can earn some further discounts for purchases over $50 and $100, etc. So a good deal becomes a great deal.

Moving on down the road, you will find the Book Outlet just a mile away. This is another landmark, in its own way, as it’s been a fixture at the North Hampton Village Shopping Center at the Intersection of Rte. 1 and Rte. 111, for over a decade. The shop features paperback and hardcover used books and accepts book trade-ins toward purchases. It’s clean, neat and well lit. When you spot the $1.99 and $2.99 orange tags on books in the History or Biography section, or the $0.99 box at the front of the store, it’s hard to believe your luck. I’m always tempted to fill my arms with books. I found four volumes today that set me back a total of about $10. The four books were an autobiography, Me, by Katherine Hepburn, a book by Henry Kissinger, The Fitzgeralds and Kennedy’s saga by Doris Kearns Goodwin and the biography of Whittaker Chambers by Sam Tanenhaus.

Normally I can stop at four or five bookshops in a day, but the extra browsing in downtown Portsmouth and the extended visit to Drake Farm limited me to three shops. Not that I’m complaining, the visits were all worthwhile. I also devoted a little bit of time to a Valentine gift for my wife. It’s important for future touring expeditions to maintain a happy home.

Finding Bargains During One-Day Bookstore Tour to Connecticut Coast

My most recent One-Day Bookstore Tour took me to four of my favorite places along the Connecticut coastline. Starting with Harbor Books in Old Saybrook and ending at Bank Square Books in Mystic was only a drive of about 27 miles. Along the way, I visited the Book Barn in Niantic and Book Trader Etc., in Groton. The Old Saybrook to Mystic (or Westerly RI) stretch is a historic and inviting tourist destination enjoyed by many, especially during the summer. The beaches, the parks, the country inns and historic sites, such as the Mystic Seaport, are all strong attractions. Years ago, when I lived in Mystic, it seemed to me that the area was underrated as a destination and somewhat still is in my mind.

But, for me, the destination bookshops offer a great day trip for someone vacationing in the area. You can find a great collection of used books at three of the four stops, and while the Bank Square Books in Mystic is not a strongly used bookshop, it makes up for it with the emphasis on local authors and books about the sea, sailing, and nautical interests. It also has a strong children’s section.

In Old Saybrook, Harbor Books is small but mighty. It has an eclectic mix of titles and I always manage to find something that I consider a bargain; either because it’s ridiculously low priced, or it’s an underpriced find. When I find something, such as an autographed book, it feels like a successful treasure hunt. It always intrigues me that the store owner has a constantly changing collection of books about Katherine Hepburn.

Up the road in Niantic, the Book Barn is actually three separate locations, each with its own unique look and feel. But, you can rest assured that I bought books in all three locations. They are all within a minute’s drive of each other; I suppose the really hearty could walk, but how could I carry all those books? The main barn had some great military genre books; the Midtown location had some great biographies, and the Downtown location had a recent arrival of movie star biographies that I couldn’t resist. Plus, this was their annual 30 percent sale, so the low prices were even better.

Continuing eastward, I arrived in Groton, home of the submarine manufacturer, General Dynamics-Electric Boat. The Book Trader, Etc., is a small store, sharing a plaza with Dunkin Donuts. In fact, they swapped locations when the doughnut shop wanted to add a drive-through. But, the bookshop continues its decades-long tradition with its 3x5 card file for buyers who make a purchase and get a credit against their next purchase when they return the previous purchase. It’s wild. I never get involved with that sort of thing because I shop in dozens of shops all over the place. But, for the locals, this is a great feature.

The final stop of the day was at Bank Square Books in Mystic. It’s right downtown close to the drawbridge. The on-going streetscape work continues, but it’s my view that by next summer it will be something worth seeing and experiencing. I have seen such improvements in other cities and towns and it goes a long way toward making the “hard-scape” of a downtown more agreeable. We’ll see. But, as to the book shopping, you will find lots of local author and local interest books here. It’s really great to see a full-service independent bookshop right in the middle of the action. I never miss stopping in. I also never fail to drive by the old sea Captain’s house on Pearl Street that I rented years ago. It’s still impressive today.

Four bookshops along the coastline and a backseat piled high with books. Another great One-Day Bookstore Tour.

New Independent Bookstore Opens

Sadly, one of my favorite bookstores, the Ben Franklin Bookstore in Worcester, has recently closed. The owner had to make that difficult decision of independent booksellers that he could not continue. But, happily, I discovered a new independent bookstore this week, which opened in nearby West Boylston, MA. The Beech Tree Place Bookstore officially opened at Noon on Saturday, July 30, 2011 and I am happy to report that I was the first official customer.

To win a personal bet with a friend, the owner-operator of the new shop, Ina, went ahead and opened as planned at noontime, despite most of the inventory still being in boxes and not well distributed on the shelves. I congratulate her on her perseverance, determination, and brave attitude about being an independent bookseller. In addition to books, the store will feature records too. That's a great combination for those of us who like to live in the past. Those old record albums are hard to replace when they finally bite the dust, and this new shop should be a boon to collectors.

Ina will spend the next few weeks properly sorting and pricing the inventory, but then again, that will be her permanent role in the months and years ahead, as a used bookseller. Every day is an adventure in sorting, pricing, shelving, and selling. I look forward to finding a lot of treasures in this new shop.

I mentioned that I was the first official customer. It's true. I found three books right away and I might say that it's fortunate for me, and my wallet, that Ina didn't have all the books on the shelves yet. I might have overbought. (If that's possible).

So, as Ben Franklin drops off my list of go-to bookshops, I will now add Beech Tree Place Bookstore to my list when the wanderlust gets a hold of me and I feel the need to scour bookshelves for hidden treasures. If you visit, let me know what you think about the new place. And best of luck to Ina on her latest adventure.  ((Since this was written, the bookshop moved to Leominster)).